Will the Islamophobia never end? "Rotten Egg Attack Mars Indonesia Christmas Celebration," from AFP, December 25:

More than 200 Indonesian Muslims threw rotten eggs at
Christians wanting to hold a Christmas mass near land outside Jakarta
where they plan to build a church, police and a witness said.

Some 100 Christian worshippers intended to hold a mass near empty
land where they hope to build a church, about 30-kilometers east of the
capital, in a project barred by district government and community
members in 2009.

Since then, worshippers from the Filadelfia Batak Christian
Protestant have held Sunday services under scorching sun outside the
property.

On Tuesday, however, local community members blocked the road near
the land, Andri Ananta, a local police chief on Jakarta's outskirts,
told AFP.

An AFP photographer witnessed furious locals — men and women
wearing Muslim headscarf, with small children in tow — physically
blocking the road and throwing rotten eggs at the gathering worshippers.

Ananta said police managed to convince the Christians to drop their plan and return home.

...instead of telling the Muslims to cut out the savage behavior.

"We tried our best to avoid any clash and the Christians
agreed to leave," he said, adding 380 police and military personnel
including an anti-riot squad were deployed to the area.

Church leader Reverend Palti Panjaitan said the incident came after a
Christmas Eve attack on Monday evening when "intolerant people" threw not only rotten eggs but plastic bags filled with urine and cow dung at them.

"Everything had happened while police were there. They were just watching without doing anything to stop them from harming us," he told AFP.

The country's high court last year overruled the district government's 2009 decision, but constant intimidation from Muslims in the area has delayed the church's construction, church officials said.

"The subject peoples ... are forbidden to build new churches." ('Umdat al-Salik, o11.5). Islamic law also forbids Christians to repair old churches.

Indonesia's constitution guarantees freedom of religion but
rights groups say violence against minorities including Christians and
the Ahmadiyah Islamic sect has escalated since 2008.

Ninety percent of Indonesia's population of 240 million identify
themselves as Muslim but the vast majority practice a moderate form of
Islam.

Oh, well, then! Will that Vast Majority rein in those "intolerant
people"? And maybe pick up the Christians' dry-cleaning bills? Too much
to ask?

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Will the Islamophobia never end? "Rotten Egg Attack Mars Indonesia Christmas Celebration," from AFP, December 25:

More than 200 Indonesian Muslims threw rotten eggs at
Christians wanting to hold a Christmas mass near land outside Jakarta
where they plan to build a church, police and a witness said.

Some 100 Christian worshippers intended to hold a mass near empty
land where they hope to build a church, about 30-kilometers east of the
capital, in a project barred by district government and community
members in 2009.

Since then, worshippers from the Filadelfia Batak Christian
Protestant have held Sunday services under scorching sun outside the
property.

On Tuesday, however, local community members blocked the road near
the land, Andri Ananta, a local police chief on Jakarta's outskirts,
told AFP.

An AFP photographer witnessed furious locals — men and women
wearing Muslim headscarf, with small children in tow — physically
blocking the road and throwing rotten eggs at the gathering worshippers.

Ananta said police managed to convince the Christians to drop their plan and return home.

...instead of telling the Muslims to cut out the savage behavior.

"We tried our best to avoid any clash and the Christians
agreed to leave," he said, adding 380 police and military personnel
including an anti-riot squad were deployed to the area.

Church leader Reverend Palti Panjaitan said the incident came after a
Christmas Eve attack on Monday evening when "intolerant people" threw not only rotten eggs but plastic bags filled with urine and cow dung at them.

"Everything had happened while police were there. They were just watching without doing anything to stop them from harming us," he told AFP.

The country's high court last year overruled the district government's 2009 decision, but constant intimidation from Muslims in the area has delayed the church's construction, church officials said.

"The subject peoples ... are forbidden to build new churches." ('Umdat al-Salik, o11.5). Islamic law also forbids Christians to repair old churches.

Indonesia's constitution guarantees freedom of religion but
rights groups say violence against minorities including Christians and
the Ahmadiyah Islamic sect has escalated since 2008.

Ninety percent of Indonesia's population of 240 million identify
themselves as Muslim but the vast majority practice a moderate form of
Islam.

Oh, well, then! Will that Vast Majority rein in those "intolerant
people"? And maybe pick up the Christians' dry-cleaning bills? Too much
to ask?